ZVEX SHO, what amps???

So I have done 3 or 4 shows with the ZVEX super hard on, and am wondering what amps are most compatible with this pedal. I have used it with a EL-34 Silver Jubilee and a Bassman that has been tweaked with 6V6 tubes and find that I cannot dial in a tone I am happy with, with these two amps. I use Teles and strats and find the tone to be on the bright side.......Tim, if you read this, did you have mush success with the SHO with certain amps>
I love the way it adds sheen and presence at lower volumes but find it not working for me at higher volumes. Any thoughts from the pedal mad communinity? Does one need to keep the tone controls rolled waaayyy back to utilise this pedal to it's fullest?

.......Tim, if you read this, did you have much success with the SHO with certain amps>
I love the way it adds sheen and presence at lower volumes but find it not working for me at higher volumes.

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Hi Larry,

I'm not sure if you're paging myself, or one of the other Tims amongst our brethren!

I use the Super Duper (SD), which, as I'm sure you're aware, contains two independent SHO circuits. No experience in using this pedal with Marshall Jubilee or any variety of Fender Bassman; best I can offer here is to toss out some comments based on experience with gear that I've used.

SD is typically my boost of choice with my rock band. With those guys, I typically mate either '63 brown Deluxe or '63 reissue Vibroverb with VOX AC15. While not a very popular choice these days, the most versatile base tone I've found across a wide range of gains within the realm of "rock" has been Stratocaster "ducktone" position #2 ( definitely an "underwound" set of pickups). I like for my rhythms underneath a vocalist to be mostly open, and I choose a pedal's basic inherent mids presentation and compression character in accordance with the other gear used. I want the high end detail to be very focused, but not "harsh". The combination of these particular aforementioned amps with Strat ducktones leans toward the darker side, and the SHO circuit is a perfect fit to balance and bring forth (my) Stratocasters' best qualities. The key here is that the amps are lightly breaking up, and all that's required from the SHO circuit is to push the preamp sections of the amps toward what they do best - in other words, the amps work hard, while the pedal is set for low gain, and merely provides a welcome "bump". I usually use a "gooser" in front of boosts and low gain drives, for higher gain tones. Worth noting is that, due to the inherent prominent high end sheen and presence boost of the SHO circuit, I require a gooser that has capability to deliver darker tones.

Standard Fender Telecasters offer a very different set of tonal parameters and considerations. One of my Telecasters contains Harmonic Design '54 pickups, which, while copping the basic "vintage-approved" twang and bite, have decidedly smoother and "optimized" high end. I occasionally use the Super Duper with this guitar, for focused, glassy high end, but as you noted, do not call on this circuit for a bunch of gain (much less than with the more forgiving Stratocaster ducktones).

With Telecaster bridge pickups, my first call is the Klon Centaur. Klon is definitely an amp-dependent choice, but with the quirky Tele bridge pickup, it is usually a safe (best?) call.

When I use VOX AC30 or Dr. Z Maz 38 Sr. as sole amp with Stratocasters, I call on the Prescription Electronics Germ as booster of choice.

Usually, I go with two low-medium gain boosts/OD's, and a gooser. I like having two low gain boxes in line, for a variety of reasons. I can set one box up to have a full-bodied round tone, and the other with a "tighter" tone, at slightly higher gain. Also, I like having a pedal in line that is capable of delivering decent sounding dirt with ample volume and headroom, should I find myself in the position where I'm not able to get as much from the amp(s) as I'd prefer. Well balanced tweaking between two compatible gainers can produce a viable level and tone that is infinitely useful with informed use of the guitar's volume and tone knobs.

The true beauty of a traditional Fender Telecaster lies within its volume and tone knobs, in my opinion. I always set EQ from amp and dirt stompers as referenced to the Tele's tone knob at about 80% capacity, and its volume at about 90% capacity (regardless of rig choice), which is pretty much where I live, for most of what I do. I roll back high end for clean jazzy lines on the neck pickup. I like having extra high end in reserve, for clean arpeggiated parts and harmonics passages, and similar stuff that really wants to sparkle.

Saturday night's job was a concert venue show, with an Americana band that I occasionally work with. For the job, I chose to combine VOX AC15 and modified '65 reissue Deluxe Reverb. I brought backup tele & strat, but played '52 reissue Tele for the entirety of the 1 & 1/2 hour set. Given those parameters, I did not choose the SHO circuit. Dirt chain was Lovepedal Eternity ("gooser") --> Klon --> "Timmy". Combo of "blackface" Fender amp and traditional (bright) Telecaster bridge pickup made the SHO circuit a no-go for me, for that job. I don't care for Klon when one EL84-based amp is used, but totally dig it with the VOX/blackface combo.

I'm using it for! I use the SHO at the end of my signal chain right before the amp. I use it for a slight amount of gain. It adds clarity to the signal and seems to alleviate that dulling that even the best effects/cords can have on your signal. Mostly, it affects the highs.

To dial it in, I adjust the knob so that the volume doesn't change as I turn the switch on/off.

Tim(yes it was you I was paging) & Lance. Thank you both for the input. I have tried the SHO both as a signal clarifier at the end , on all the time which at lower volumes adds a a really nice quality to the signal that I like in that application and also as a booster to bump up the signal. On the aforementioned amps I run the trebles in the 5-6 range and use a strat and a tele bridge p/us often(Fat 50 bridge with a baseplate). I usually run the tone at around 75-80% and keep the vol backed off. We play at a good amount of volume so the amps are usually running pretty hot. I suspect that these 2 amps in particular are not a great match for the SHO. I have access to a few EL-84 amps but do not currently own one, but think I may have to run the SHO through one of those for comparison.Tim, have you ever run the SHO with the 6v6 Deluxe on it's own and been happy with it? Lance, what amp(s) are you using?
Thanks guys

I have a SD as well, and I use it to great effect with my Dr.Z Carmen Ghia, Maz38, and Z28. I use one channel as a buffer as well, always on, just above unity gain. The second channel I use as a pretty significant boost, and it really works great to give the front end of the amp a kick.

With the 6V6 Z28, the first channel really adds sparkle to the tone, but I'd agree that as a significant boost, it probably sounds better with the EL84 Maz and Ghia.

Tim, have you ever run the SHO with the 6v6 Deluxe on it's own and been happy with it?

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Larry, I've recorded the little brownface Deluxe with a Super Duper and a Tele for some single note lead stuff, and I dug the results. I never gig (or rehearse with) a small amp like a Deluxe on its own (I always mate it with another small amp), so I can't really offer any real world insight there. The SHO circuit is just too bright for my tastes with my '65 reissue Deluxe Reverb (which, by the way, has its bright cap snipped). That's pretty much been the case for me with blackface, silverface, and comparable reissue Fenders, across a variety of eras. This would include Deluxes, Supers, and Twins (OUCH!).

I've got several but the majority are blackface Fenders (DR, Vibrolux Rev, Bassman). But the SHO...it's just part of my rig...it's always on. I've had it in front of my Univalve, 5E3 and others and it's still a great little pedal.

But....my setup also includes a Weber Mass. The amps are always running at the edge of distortion. The SHO gives it a little more uuummph. And....a Klon does the overdrive.

So....I guess what I'm saying is that it's not just one pedal that makes the tone...it's the whole chain. The important thing is to get a great amp...crank it up to where the power tubes are working (Mass helps here)....hit the pre-amp a bit with the SHO. Any O/D boxes in front just tip you over the edge for the lead tone.